A terrible shrieking1 broke out inthe cave, slicing through the sound of the rain pattering around them and even the noise of the falls. Feathertail sprang to her paws; every hair on her pelt3 told her to flee as far from the cave as she could. Only the thought of the danger that Stormfur was in made her stay where she was.
“Come on!” Brambleclaw’s voice was tense.
The rest of the cats stared at him in disbelief.
“Down there?” Crowpaw demanded. “Are you mouse-brained?”
“Think!” Brambleclaw was already bounding toward the cave entrance; he paused and swung around to face the apprentice4. “With Sharptooth in the cave, no cat will notice us. This might be our only chance to get Stormfur out.”
Without waiting to see if the others were following he leaped down the rocks toward the path.
“I still think he’s crazy!” muttered Crowpaw, but he followed all the same.
Feathertail scrambled5 down after them, her paws sliding on the wet rocks, her claws scraping painfully as she tried to keep her balance. She ran along the ledge6 behind the falls with barely enough time to be afraid of slipping and falling into the turbulent pool below. The screeching7 grew louder. Terror surged through Feathertail as she imagined what they would find inside the cave; Sharptooth might be sinking his fangs8 into Stormfur’s neck at that very moment, clawing her brother’s pelt and turning him into fresh-kill.
She skidded9 into the cave and halted just behind Brambleclaw. For a moment she could hardly make sense of what she was seeing. With the moon covered by clouds, the cave was almost dark; the huge shape of Sharptooth seemed to be everywhere at once, massive paws pounding on the floor as he sprang from wall to wall, blood spattered against his flanks and saliva10 dripping from his jaws11. This was more terrible than Feathertail had ever imagined—there was no way Stormfur could challenge this beast and survive.
The Tribe cats scattered12, scrambling13 blindly out of their sleeping hollows. Feathertail caught a glimpse of Brook14, hustling15 a kit16 down the tunnel that led to the nursery, with another dangling17 from her jaws. Near the other tunnel, a cave-guard was clinging to the huge lion-cat’s neck, only to be thrown off and flung against the wall with a sickening thud. The cave-guard slid to the floor and lay still, a trickle18 of blood running from its mouth. While Feathertail stared in horror, two or three cats fled past her with shrill19 cries, blundering against the Clan20 cats without realizing who they were.
“This way!” Brambleclaw ordered. He looked at each Clan cat in turn, his gaze resting longest on Squirrelpaw. “We have to do this for Stormfur,” he reminded them.
Sharptooth had pounded across to leap up the far wall of the cave, trying to reach a Tribe cat who cowered21 on a ledge just above the vicious claws. Skirting the cave walls, clinging to the darkest corners, Brambleclaw headed for the tunnel leading to the Cave of Pointed22 Stones. Feathertail and the others followed. In the blackness they stumbled against Tribe cats, some wounded, others frozen in fear, but the terror and blood-scent23 filling the cave were so strong that no cat recognized them.
At the tunnel entrance, two cave-guards still held their positions, their fur standing24 on end and their eyes stretched wide. Feathertail felt a flash of respect for their courage, to stay there when all their Tribemates were running for their lives.
“Now!” Brambleclaw and Crowpaw launched themselves at the cave-guards, their claws slashing25 and their teeth bared. Squirrelpaw was only a heartbeat behind them. Feathertail heard an exclamation26 of astonishment27 from one of the guards, and recognized Crag’s voice. She saw Brambleclaw bowl him over and fasten his teeth in the cave-guard’s neck fur, while Crowpaw cuffed28 the other guard on both ears, drawing him away from the tunnel entrance. Squirrelpaw sank her teeth into Crag’s tail and held on.
With the entrance clear, Feathertail and Tawnypelt darted29 down the tunnel. Before they reached the Cave of Pointed Stones they met two other cats, barely visible in the darkness. With a surge of relief and joy Feathertail recognized Stormfur’s scent. The other cat was Stoneteller; she glimpsed his blazing eyes as he pelted30 past her and launched himself into the outer cave.
“Quick!” the Tribe leader yowled to Stormfur. “Your time has come. Oh, Tribe of Endless Hunting, help us now!”
“Feathertail!” Stormfur exclaimed. “What’s happening?”
For a moment Feathertail was content just to drink in his scent and twine31 her tail with his. She had been afraid they’d find the Cave of Pointed Stones empty, that Stormfur would have already been sent out to do battle with the lion-cat, and that his body had been one of those bleeding in the corners of the cave.
“There’s no time for that!” Tawnypelt snapped. “Head for the entrance. Don’t stop for anything.”
She dashed back down the tunnel, and Feathertail and Stormfur followed. As they reached the outer cave, a shriek2 ripped through the darkness, louder than thunder. A flash of lightning revealed Sharptooth backing toward the entrance. His jaws were clamped around a Tribe cat; with a shudder32 of pure horror Feathertail recognized Star, the kit-mother who had spoken to them when they first arrived. Her mouth was open in a desperate wordless yowl, and her claws scored the earth floor as she fought vainly to free herself. Then all was dark again; Feathertail saw the faint outline of the lion-cat against the sheet of water as it whipped around and vanished through the entrance.
For a heartbeat a shocked silence filled the cave. Then a shrill wail33 of loss rose all around. Feathertail felt a cat nudge her roughly and spun34 around to see Brambleclaw.
“Out—now!” he rasped.
He bounded toward the entrance with Squirrelpaw and Tawnypelt hard on his paws. Crowpaw thrust Feathertail after him, though she did not move until she was sure Stormfur was following too. No cat tried to stop them; all the Tribe were still gripped by terror, crouched35 low on the cave floor or gazing after Sharptooth with bristling36 fur and their eyes glazed37 with fear.
At the entrance Brambleclaw paused, sniffed38 the air, and then led the way along the path. Feathertail detected Sharptooth’s scent, mingled39 with Star’s fear-scent and the reek40 of blood, but they were fading. The predator41 had gone, carrying his prey42 with him and leaving many more cats dead or wounded.
Sheets of rain were falling steadily43, gusted44 by the wind, and thunder rumbled45 out again overhead. Feathertail was soaked within a couple of heartbeats, her fur plastered to her body, but she scarcely noticed. She followed Brambleclaw up the rocks as he led the Clan cats back the way they had come. Behind them, the Tribe’s heartbroken wailing46 died away, drowned in the pattering rain and the endless, unchanging roar of the waterfall.
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1
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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5
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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7
screeching
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| v.发出尖叫声( screech的现在分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫 | |
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8
fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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9
skidded
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| v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的过去式和过去分词 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区 | |
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saliva
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| n.唾液，口水 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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13
scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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14
brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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hustling
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| 催促（hustle的现在分词形式） | |
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kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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18
trickle
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| vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散 | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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cowered
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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24
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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25
slashing
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| adj.尖锐的；苛刻的；鲜明的；乱砍的v.挥砍( slash的现在分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减 | |
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26
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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28
cuffed
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| v.掌打，拳打( cuff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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30
pelted
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| （连续地）投掷( pelt的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续抨击； 攻击； 剥去…的皮 | |
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31
twine
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| v.搓，织，编饰；（使）缠绕 | |
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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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33
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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34
spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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35
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36
bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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37
glazed
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| adj.光滑的，像玻璃的；上过釉的；呆滞无神的v.装玻璃( glaze的过去式)；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神 | |
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38
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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39
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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40
reek
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| v.发出臭气；n.恶臭 | |
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41
predator
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| n.捕食其它动物的动物；捕食者 | |
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42
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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43
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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44
gusted
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| n. 突然一阵 n. 风味 vi. 猛吹 | |
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45
rumbled
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| 发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋） | |
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46
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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